The Legacy Begins
by Rebel Shadowknight
Summary: Riff never knew his father, and so one day he journeys to Haven City to find out. As his journey progresses, his destiny becomes intertwined with that of Jak's. Another chapter! Run for your life! Yup, It's chapter two. MIGHT BE REWRITTEN
1. Prologue

**Rebel: I decided to write the first chapters of all the story ideas I've had, and this was the first. Don't expect an update too soon. Of course, if you review enough, then once I'm done with an Avatar chapter request from a pal, I may come back and update. If this chapter doesn't really appeal to you because Jak's not in it, know that he turns up at the end of chapter two so be patient. Until then, enjoy!**

**P.S. For all who care, all I really own are my little OC's, the places you never heard of like Dhel Valley, and this plot. Oh, and baynut butter. Yay baynut butter!

* * *

**

_The Legacy Begins_

Prologue

It was the dead of night, and the world slept soundly. Then the silence was rent by the cry of a newborn babe. Head Monk Geish of the Dhel Valley Temple walked through the dark with his apprentice, Orin, close behind.

"So Teacher," the young monk spoke as he followed Geish, "where are we going?"

"Do you remember the young woman who came to us a few months ago from across the sea?"

The monk nodded. "Yes, Gryn the mechanic. She journeyed here all the way from Haven City despite the fact that she was pregnant."

"Correct." Master Geish said, looking back at the monk. "The midwife sent me a message." Geish's normally cheerful face grew somber. "Gryn gave birth to a boy a few hours ago, and while her baby is fine, she passed away."

Orin came up next to Master Geish so they could chat easier. "So are we going to bless the child in Gryn's honor?" he asked.

"That is part of it." Master Geish said. "The other reason is that poor Gryn was not able to name her son before she passed on, and we don't know the father."

"Why can't someone else name the newborn?" Orin asked.

"Because," Geish explained, "people often grow up with personalities suiting their names. Only a loved one or oneself has the right to make such a decision."

Orin looked into his teacher's face with admiration. Head Monk Geish was so wise. Then Orin thought of something.

"The child should still have a name though." Orin pointed out.

"Yes, you are quite right." Geish said, flashing his pale-faced apprentice a smile. "This child seems special so he should bear a temporary name that will allow him the freedom to become whatever he wants. When the time comes, he shall choose his own name, and his own destiny."

The two monks walked in silence for a time, Master Geish stroking the short beard he had begun growing when he had become Head Monk. Then he broke the silence.

"I think you should name Gryn's son, Orin."

Orin almost tripped. "M-me sir? W-why?"

"You were accepted as my apprentice on this day so you should have the honor of naming the little boy. It is not a coincidence that he was born the day you officially became a monk. I think he was waiting for you." Geish said.

They walked the rest of the way without speaking. Orin couldn't think of a name that sounded right, and was becoming quite nervous. Finally the monks came to a small farm house with a field, and Gryn's make-shift track off to the side.

Master Geish came up to the door and knocked. He was answered by Gryn's neighbor and good friend, Simon.

"Ah, Geish. It's you." Simon's black hair with its purple streak was mussed up, and his face was worn with anxiety and sorrow. "The midwife is upstairs with the babe and…Gryn."

"Gryn?" Geish furrowed his brow.

Simon heaved a sigh. "The midwife is superstitious. She says that Gryn must be present when you bless the newborn, or her spirit will never rest." Simon shook his head. He was a practical man who didn't believe in such hocus pocus.

Geish patted Simon's shoulder and headed upstairs. Orin followed, pausing to bow to Simon before catching up with his teacher.

Master Geish and Orin bowed to the midwife as they came into Gryn's room. The newborn child was in the midwife's arms and the lifeless form of Gryn lay on the bed, her features obscured by a sheet pulled over her head.

"Master Geish." The midwife nodded her head.

"We have come to bless the child." Geish said. Orin came forward nervously, but seemed to relax as he looked into the baby's eyes.

"I bless this child with a name. He shall be known as Riff. With this name he shall grow strong yet gentle, both wise and kindhearted. And when the time comes, this infant, then a man, shall choose for himself a name that reflects the destiny he has chosen." Orin finished by sealing the blessing with monk hand signs.

Geish placed a hand on Orin's shoulder. "Well done."

Silence filled the peaceful room. Suddenly there was a ringing noise that shattered the tranquil moment.

Riff opened an eye reluctantly, and turned off his alarm clock. He rolled over in an attempt to go back to sleep, but then the morning sun shined bright through the window in his face. Riff tried to remember what he'd been dreaming about, but it had disappeared as if it were fog banished by the sunlight streaming into his room.

Riff yawned and forced himself to get out of bed. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Riff hunted for his shirt. Having found it, he put it on and tucked it in the pants he'd accidentally fallen asleep wearing. Then Riff pulled on his vest and slipped into his boots.

Riff stood before the mirror and looked at himself. A seventeen year-old elf looked back at him. He rubbed his hand against his chin, feeling the stubble.

'I'll have to shave before I go.' Riff thought to himself. His hand went to his messy orange hair. He'd have to brush that out, unless he wanted to scare everyone in town.

Riff cleaned up in the bathroom down the hall, and then headed downstairs.

Simon sat at the table eating toast and jam. Riff had lived with Simon as long as he could remember. His black hair had long since grown gray from age and working in the fields under the hot sun. Simon's purple streak had turned pale as well, but remained purple all the same. Despite his age, Simon was almost untouched by wrinkles, and his hands were still strong.

"I'm heading for the library in town." Riff said as he grabbed a warm biscuit from the plate on the table. "I almost have that old Precursor tablet I found deciphered." Riff popped the biscuit in his mouth and began to move toward the door.

"Hold on there, Tiger." Simon said. "Your friend, Monk Orin called. He said Head Monk Geish wishes to see you. Head over to the temple first. Oh, and drink some milk. That biscuit has baynut butter in it."

"Riff had noticed the baynut butter moments before Simon had mentioned it. He could feel the stuff sticking to the roof of his mouth, and was thankful when Simon handed him a mug of milk, most likely purchased just this morning from the farmer down the road who raised yakows. Riff quickly drained the mug and set it on the table.

"See ya!" Riff said and disappeared through the back door.

Simon listened as Riff started his zoomer outside and then sped off. Simon shook his head.

"That boy's hard to get out of bed, but once he's up, he's got more energy than a muse." Simon fell silent as he ate his toast, and wondered what Geish could want.

* * *

**Rebel: I know that must've been kind of boring, so please forgive me. I had to have it because Riff's the main character. You'll like the next chapter once I have it up. Please review. It'll help motivate me to write sooner. Also, to Shadow Systems and Touch Me in the Morning, please tell me what you think. I tried to put in a little more detail. See you later Peoples! **


	2. the Journey Ahead

**Rebel: Sorry but Jak won't be coming into this chapter. I decided to have that next chapter because I added some stuff to this one, and I don't want it to be too long. This chapter does finally give you some connection to the games though, near the end. I also created a new species of animal, but you'll have to read to find out. Don't forget to review. The most reviews I've ever gotten on one story is 6 :(. **

**I don't own the original Jak and Daxter characters or places, but if you haven't heard of it, it's probably mine. For example, Dhel Valley and my new OC Aria. (I'm the OC queen)**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

2. The Journey Ahead

Riff leaned into his zoomer so the windshield he'd attached protected his face from the biting wind. The zoomer sped up so the farm houses and fields passed by in a blur. Riff slowed down when he spotted a familiar figure on the road. Riff came up alongside a fair haired girl riding a dracony, a small scaled and cloven-hoofed horse.

"Hello Aria. How have you been?" Riff asked as he came up on Aria's left. Her dracony shied away, but Aria calmed it.

"I'm well, Riff." she said. Her voice sounded like wind chimes. She scratched her dracony behind the ears where the scales gave way to leathery hide. It leaned into her hand, bits of light glinting off its emerald body.

"I see Veron is also well." Riff said with a little chuckle.

"Riff…May I read your fortune?" Aria asked. Aria was a fortuneteller. She'd been given the gift by an oracle when she was very small. Riff smiled.

"Of course, Aria." he said. Riff set his zoomer down on the side of the dusty road while Aria secured Veron's reins to a nearby tree.

"Now let's see." Aria murmured as she took Riff's hand. "First comes the past. Hmm." Aria traced Riff's palm with her slender fingers, her golden locks falling into her face as she concentrated. "Over the years you have made yourself strong in many ways, some not even known by you yourself. Look to that strength in times of need."

Riff knew what came next. Aria let go of Riff's hand, and gently closed his eyes. "Now is the present." Aria said in her soft voice. "What color do you see in your mind's eye?" Riff let his mind go blank so the color would come to him. He didn't understand why, but whenever Aria asked that question during a reading, Riff always thought about just the right color to describe himself.

"It's …white." Riff said, confused. "Is that even considered a color?"

"Aria nodded. "White is all colors. This means that you are ready." The last sentence was eerie in Aria's whispery voice.

"What does that mean?" Riff asked. Aria just shrugged.

"On to the future." she said. "Look into my eyes." Riff looked down at Aria who was a few years younger and therefore shorter. His redwood colored eyes met her misty grey ones. Riff felt as if he was drowning in those foggy eyes, but strangely enough it was a pleasant sensation.

"This is strange." Aria muttered. "I cannot tell your future. This is a crossroad in your life, Riff. Every decision you make from this point on will shape the future…and the past." Aria said, confused by the last part.

"Well," Riff said, "That's kind of creepy." The air seemed thicker and everything was silent, but the moment was broken as Veron whinnied loudly.

"I have to be going!" Riff remembered. He ran over to his zoomer, threw a leg over the vehicle, and started the engine.

"Riff!" Aria called. Even when she raised her voice, Aria still sounded hushed, but Riff heard her.

"What is it?" he asked. Aria straddled her dracony and came up alongside Riff.

"Don't forget to write to me." Before Riff could question her, Aria turned and rode off.

""Women." Riff sighed. He threw the zoomer into drive, gave it some gas, and drove away.

After a few minutes, Riff came into town and slowed down. There wasn't a great difference in the scenery except the fields were replaced by vegetable gardens, the buildings were closer together, and the dirt paths turned into cobbled roads. Riff waved to a few women gathered around the town spring in the early morning. Some of the younger ones giggled as he passed by. Riff shook his head slightly as he drove. Why were all the girls in Dhel Valley so…girly? Riff pushed it from his mind and kept driving.

Soon the town thinned and the houses parted to reveal the hill lands. Riff drove in between the terraced hills where people were planting the new year's crops. The northern mountain range cast a shadow across the path Riff traveled, and he knew the temple was close.

The monk temple eventually came into view, golden in the morning light. Spheres and rings of different sizes and patterns circled the two side towers. A diamond shaped light crystal the size of a full grown man spun slowly atop the tallest tower like a lighthouse beacon. Riff set down his zoomer in front of the temple, and walked between the colossal pillars to the entrance. A short monk made smaller still by the massive stone doors behind him, came up to Riff and waited silently.

"I've been summoned to see Head Monk Geish." Riff said. The monk nodded and turned. He waved his hand, and glowing precursor symbols appeared across the doors. Then, haltingly, they opened, revealing the temple's halls. Great looming statues of precursor robots lined the larger passageways, and shadows danced in the corners of every corridor.

Riff entered the dimly lit temple, and was greeted by Orin. Orin was now in his early thirties but still had a boyish face. Riff barely caught Orin's smile before he bowed.

"Good day, Riff. I'm afraid you're kind of late so we won't be able to catch up. Master Geish wants to speak to you right away." Riff liked how Orin spoke so casually. All of the other monks felt the need to sound all mystical, but not Orin.

"That's all right. We'll talk later." Riff looked around. "Where is Head Monk Geish?"

"He's in the archives. He's been really troubled by recent events." Orin said.

"Huh?"

Orin sighed. "The moon. Over the past month it's been turning orange."

Riff sniggered. "Orin, hate to break it to you, but the world isn't ending. This 'strange' phenomenon you guys are worried about is called a harvest moon. It's totally normal."

Orin raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but in spring? Riff, it shouldn't be happening. Listen, Master Geish can argue with you over the situation, but I have a meeting so I have to go. Good bye, Riff." Orin bowed and walked off.

Riff strolled down a hallway to an eco elevator that was set into a wall and flanked by two statues of past head monks. Riff hopped on, and the elevator began to move upwards. The shaft was lit by inset rows of lights that gave off a blue glow and made the metal walls seem almost black.

'Well today certainly isn't what I expected.' Riff thought as the bars of light in the shaft zipped past his face and the hum of eco filled his ears. 'Except for that day Simon had an allergic reaction to a wumpbee sting and went temporarily insane, this is the strangest day ever. Everyone and everything seem out of sorts today.'

Finally the elevator slowed to a stop, and Riff stepped out into the archives, a series of high vaulted rooms filled to the brim with books, scrolls, tablets, and even a few computers. Riff looked around and spotted Geish up on the third and final level of the archives. Riff climbed a set of ornate spiral stairs and walked over to Geish, his hand gliding along the waist high metal railing that separated him from empty air, and eventually, the hard tiled floor below.

Geish turned at riff's approach. "Ah, there you are, Riff. I've been waiting quite some time you know."

"Well I'm here now." Riff said. "What did you want to talk to me about? Oh, but first, what's with everyone worrying over a harvest moon?"

"A harvest moon in spring." Geish reminded him. "It's not natural, and moreover, it's still darkening. Soon it will turn red. We are worried because that has happened only once before."

"What happened last time?" Riff asked, suddenly feeling chilled. Geish cleared his throat and began to stroke the long grey beard that made his tattooed face seem even whiter. Then he began to speak.

"On the darkest of nights filled with dread, lit only by Phoebe tainted red, Appeared the hero known as Mar, bathed in the light of a fallen star."

"Okay, so maybe this sort of thing is unusual," Riff admitted, "But then shouldn't this be a good thing? I mean, it was last time."

"No, you see good came of last time and all things are balanced, so this could mean the worst." Geish said solemnly.

"Do you think we could talk about something else now? Everyone today seems to feel the need to prophesize and be all spooky and stuff. I'd like it if we came back to the real world." Riff said.

Geish nodded. "Yes, of course. I wanted to speak to you about your father."

"What for?" Riff asked. "It's not like I knew him."

"Exactly. I think you are of age to go out into the world and learn of your heritage. More precisely, you will be headed to Haven City where your mother and father are from. It's what your mother, Gryn would want."

"Isn't there a war going on over there?" Riff asked.

"No, or I wouldn't send you. The war ended five years ago." Geish said.

"Well then I'm all for going."

"Good." Geish said. "Pack up. Tomorrow you will drive down to the fisherman's hut on the coast. He'll give you a ride across the ocean. You'll land near an oasis where an old friend of mine will give you a lift to Haven City. From then on you're on your own because everyone I know now lives in Spargus City."

"I'll be fine." Riff said confidently. On the inside, however, Riff was terribly worried. Haven City, a place known for its crime, poverty, and pollution. Would he really be all right?

Geish put a hand on Riff's shoulder. "One more thing. While you're in Haven City you'll not only be searching for your past, but you must also decide on a new name for yourself. It must reflect who you are and who you will become."

Riff groaned. "Great. More spooky destiny crap."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Rebel: Yeah, I know, to much doom and foreboding. Riff's reactions were really more my reactions (yes even the girl part. Girls, don't degrade yourself by acting like love struck pups. It's embarrassing.) I felt there was too much prophecy and doom stuff, but I needed it to get the significance of this story across to both you and Riff. If you want to use any of the places, creatures, or objects (baynut butter!) that I have created, just pm me and ask. I say this at the beginning and end of every chapter, but people ignore it: PLEASE REVIEW!**


End file.
